The emergence of Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, as the presidential flag-bearer of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, may have altered political permutations in the governing All Progressives Congress, APC, as the party’s presidential convention draws near.
Key party stakeholders and close allies of President Muhammadu Buhari, including State Governors are at cross roads over which of the 25 presidential aspirants would pick the Presidential ticket of the party.
But reliable sources told this newspaper that baring last minute changes, aspirants from the North East and South East zones, are favoured to produce the presidential candidate of the party.
The two zones argue that they have been marginalized from the power alchemy of the nation, having not produced the nation’s President since after the first republic.
Senate President, Senator Ahmed Lawan, is a major contender for the presidential ticket of the party from the North East, and if the zone is favoured, sources claim he is mostly likely to emerge the party’s presidential candidate.
Sources further contend that some power brokers in the party, including some State Governors and Senators from the North and the South are strongly pushing for Lawan, on the basis that having come from the same zone with Atiku, he will come up strongly against the PDP presidential candidate in the general elections.
‘”Lawan is the only presidential aspirant from the North in the APC with some measurable political clout and mileage to match Atiku Abubakar” said a credible source aware of the unfolding hi-level politicking over the APC presidential race.
“If the North is considered for the presidential ticket, Lawan is our best bet because he is the most experienced of the all aspirants from the North.He has been in the system in the past 20 years” the source said.
“With Atiku, a Northerner, now PDP presidential candidate, it is important, the APC fields a Northern Presidential candidate.
“The voting mentality of the average Northerner, will favour Atiku If the APC elects a Southerner.The entire North will go for Atiku and the PDP”
However, there are another set of powerful forces including some State Governors and close allies of the President, who are pushing for an APC Presidential candidate from the South East.
They argue that an APC Presidential candidate from the South East, would ignite a fresh surge of support for the party in the region and douse separatist agitations in the zone.
“The South East is now in serious consideration.
“Former Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr.Ogbonnaya Onu, is on the cards. Former Minister of State, for Education, Emeka Nwajiuba cannot be ruled out as well. These are close allies of the President from the South East for more than a decade.
“Onu has a similar austere life style like Buhari.
“Many do not know that Dr. Onu and Emeka Nwajiuba are very popular among the Northern political elites.
“The truth of the matter is, if a presidential candidate emerges from the South East, it will cushion the possible loss of the South West, where Bola Tinubu and Vice President Yemi Osibanjo hold sway.
“If Tinubu is not getting the presidential ticket, the APC may lose grip in the South West. And we need another region in the South to make up for the possible loss of the South West.
“If we lose the South West, we can make up with the South East which has over the years gradually tilted towards the APC.
“Already, two States in the South East are in the kitty of the APC, and if the APC presidential candidate comes from the region, the entire zone will embrace the party and compliment the votes from the North to give APC victory in the presidential election” the source concluded.
